DES MOINES, Iowa — A jury was selected Tuesday afternoon for Bravon Tukes' Starts Right Here shooting trial.
The prosecution and defense are prepared to give their opening statements on Wednesday in the trial against Bravon Tukes.
All day Tuesday was spent with the prosecution and defense questioning a pool of 69 jurors, and each side had their chance to finalize who they want to determine Tukes' fate.
There was a total of five jurors excused for reasonings ranging from personal beliefs to scheduling conflicts.
Potential jurors were asked about their knowledge of witnesses, their own definitions of "beyond reasonable doubt" and if everybody would be able to abide by Tukes being innocent until proven guilty.
All jurors chosen believed that they would be able to give both the defense and the state a fair trial.
The state says they expect the trial to take at least two weeks to present all the evidence.
What can we expect in Bravon Tukes' trial?
Tukes is the alleged getaway driver for Preston Walls.
Walls ran and met Tukes in the Mullets parking lot after the shooting, and then later Tukes was pulled over near the scene.
When Tukes was pulled over, Walls ran from police at that stop.
The prosecution must prove that Tukes acted with a specific intent to murder Carr and Dameron.
"You're not dealing with somebody who had directly committed the offense, but somebody who assisted somebody in committing the offense. So it's a different element that you are going to have to show and there are different methods of proof," said Robert R. Riggs, the director of the criminal defense program at Drake Law School.
Riggs says that the "aid and abet" factor in this case will play a significant role in the approach the prosecution takes.
What was Preston Walls convicted of?
The jury found Walls guilty of:
- Murder in the Second Degree
- Voluntary Manslaughter
- Assault Causing Serious Injury
Walls was originally charged with:
- Murder in the First Degree (two counts)
- Attempt to Commit Murder (one count)
- Willful Injury Causing Serious Injury (one count)
- Criminal Gang Participation (one count)
Walls was found not guilty on two counts: Attempted Murder and Criminal Gang Participation. He will be sentenced on the week of Nov. 6.
What happened at Starts Right Here?
On Jan. 23, 2023 two students, Gionni Dameron and Rashad Carr, were shot and killed at Starts Right Here, a community outreach center for local youth.
In the shooting, founder of Starts Right Here, Will Keeps was also injured. He lost one of his fingers and now has chronic pain when walking.
As discussed in his trial, Walls brought a gun to the school on Jan. 23, 2023. He proceeded to cut of his ankle monitor, later shooting nearly 30 rounds at Carr and Dameron.
Walls fled the scene to meet Tukes. Later that day, both were found by a police officer. Walls fled the vehicle and was located in the woods, while Tukes was aken into custody near the car.
Later, Des Moines police revealed they believe the suspects and the victims belonged to two feuding gangs.